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Volume 127 Issue 23
kansan.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
COMMENTARY
Big man recruit Cheick Diallo considers Kansas
The 2015 basketball recruiting class is predominantly made up of
big men, 10 out of the top 15 players in the class are either centers or power forwards. The No.4-ranked power forward in the class, Cheick Diallo is the seventh overall prospect in the country.
Diallo is from Our Savior New American School in Centerreach, N.Y. Diallo visited Lawrence on Sept. 19 and has made three other previous visits.
Diallo seems to have narrowed his selection down to Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa State, St. John's and Pittsburgh. The big man from New York has hosted coaches from Iowa State, Kansas and Kentucky.
St. John's is able to provide Diallo with a hometown pitch, while it might not have as competitive of a program as the other four schools.
Diallo is on a long list of big men coach Bill Self is looking at this recruiting season. Self has had success recruiting big men in the past, for example, Cole Aldrich, Jeff Withey, Thomas Robinson, Joel Embiid and now Cliff Alexander.
Future150.com describes Diallo as an aggressive big man who has dramatically improved his offensive game. He has a lot of energy and has the potential to be a difference maker on the defensive and offensive sides of the ball.
The future of Jayhawk big men is uncertain. Cliff Alexander has said he is open to staying in college for more than one season, but his talent points in a different direction.
Junior Jamari Traylor is another question that could affect recruiting. If Traylor steps into a bigger role and becomes a starter, the Jayhawks may not need to recruit Diallo, on top of Stephen Zimmerman and Diamond Stone.
The 2015 recruiting class is up in the air. Kansas, Kentucky and Duke are leading the way to almost recruiting the entire top 10, but only time will tell.
- Edited by Ashley Peralta
Sara McClinton (4) celebrates with teammates.during a recent game. Kansas faces conference opponent Kansas State on Wednesday.
BEN LIPOWITZ/KANSAN
UNDER PRESSURE
Javhawks take 0-1 conference record into Sunflower Showdown
MATT CORTE
@Corte UDK
After losing to Oklahoma in the first conference match Saturday night, Kansas volleyball now finds itself in a bit of a must-win situation Wednesday against Kansas State.
It might sound baffling that the Jayhawks would be in a must-win match so early in the season, but seeing that they play two-time reigning Big 12 champion Texas Sunday, it means getting a conference win now becomes all the more important.
If Kansas fails to beat K-State Wednesday and then goes on to lose against Texas, it would
be the first time the layhawks started conference play 0-3 since 2011. That season, the team finished with its worst Big 12 record in the past seven seasons, going 3-13.
Taking into account that Texas hasn't lost three conference matches since 2006 means Kansas needs a win against its in-state rivals even more so.
Freshman setter Ainise Havili talked Tuesday about the match against K-State, noting how big the game will be for the upperclassmen.
"We definitely need to get back on track, and get a win," Havili said. "It's a big deal to the upperclassmen, but I'm
Senior outside hitters Chelsea Albers and Sara McClinton have a chance to become the first Jayhawks with a winning record against K-State in the coach Ray Bechard era, or since 1998.
sure it'll be a bigger deal for the freshmen as the years go by."
By beating K-State, it would give the two girls five wins against only two losses, which would also secure a career plus .500 winning margin against the Wildcats.
Getting that win will be easier said than done, as K-State has started off its season in winning fashion like the Jayhawks, going 13-2.
Just like Kansas, K-State also lost its conference opener, falling to Baylor at home in five sets.
Last season, the Wildcats were led by two-time All-American Kaitlynn Pelger, who has since graduated, leaving a giant hole on the team.
Now, K-State has turned its offense to outside hitters Kylee Zumah and Brooke Sassin.
Both players are currently in the top 10 of the Big 12 for kills per set, with Zumach leading the team at 3.60, which is good for third in the Big 12. Sassin comes in at 3.16, which stands at seventh
in the Big 12.
K-State's redshirt setter Katie Brand has been just as impressive, averaging 11.18 assists per set, just 07 ahead of Kansas setter Ainise Havili.
The Jayhawks are 4-0 in the past four Sunflower Showdown matches, and can win five straight against K-State for the first time since 1991. 1993.
All that remains to be seen is if Kansas can continue its winning trend against the Wildcats.
Edited by Kelsie Jennings
Bowen must tackle more in new position
DANIEL HARMSEN
@UDK DAN
After being named interim head coach Sunday, defensive coordinator Clint Bowen has an extra ball to juggle as he heads into one of his toughest challenges of the young 2014 season.
Along with trying to stop a West Virginia offense that boasts the league's leader in total offense, quarterback Clint Trickett (395 yards per game), Bowen will be running practices and managing the gameplan on Saturday.
of the half kind of deal."
"I am still going to stay very active and I'm going to call the defense for the game," Bowen said. "We've implemented some plans on how we're going to handle the game management situations that come up, whether it be a 'go for it on a 4th down,' take a time-out here' or clock management toward the end
With an impromptu press conference on Monday morning announcing the coaching change, the Big 12 coaches teleconference, a Hawk Talk radio show, Tuesday's West Virginia press conference, and a football team to coach, Bowen has hardly had time to breathe. But he has made it through. The Lawrence native credits current defensive backs coach, Dave Campo, for easing the hectic transition to head coach. Like Bowen, who spent most of his time in football as an assistant coach, Campo was named the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 2000-2002.
"Dave (Campo) has been a tremendous resource for us," Bowen said. "The years of experience that he brings, it's always a comforting sight to see him when you come in there and you have something
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
on your mind and you know you can bounce it off of Dave and come up with an answer that comes from years of experience and wisdom."
Bowen's defense has allowed the sixth least points per game in the conference (25.5), but square off against a Mountaineer team that has scored 37.5 per contest.
Interim head coach Clint Bowen will be juggling more than usual in Saturday's game. He will be running practices and managing the gameplan
"They are very potent," Bowen said of West Virginia. "They're averaging 400 yards passing a game, the quarterback is playing exceptionally well. [The offensive linemen] look like they must have some nastiness to them. They play hard, they play downhill, they're a physical bunch."
"I've already made it clear
Clint Bowen will be serving multiple roles for the Jayhawks for the time being, but he may not be the only person within the Kansas program that will be showcasing his versatility.
to this team," Bowen said. "As a player on this team you have a responsibility to do everything in your power to help, and that's every single one of us, and you will see first-line guys on [special teams]."
Bowen said starting Sunday, the team had a clean slate top to bottom.
"There's going to be some
guys that earn things." Bowen said. "In this program no one — players, coaches, everything is going to be earned. If they earn them they'll be rewarded. If they don't take advantage of it, then they won't get the rewards that they hoped to get"
— Edited by Ashley Peralta
Soccer players receive weekly Big 12 honors
IREN CARROLL
@BCarroll91
Junior midfielder Liana Salazar and senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Stroud of the University's soccer team won offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively, the Big 12 Conference announced Tuesday.
Salazar, who leads the Big 12 with eight goals, ignited the offense this weekend in Texas, recording a goal and an assist. It is the second time this season the junior has won the award. Stroud has won the award two previous times. Both players have played a crucial part in the team's successful 11-1 start.
Friday night against Baylor, Salazar scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 19th minute. The effort helped secure Kansas' first conference victory of the season. The Bogotá, Colombia, native added her second assist of the season less than six minutes into Sunday's match with a cross to her teammate, senior midfielder Jamie Fletcher. Fletcher then redirected the pass in between the pipes to facilitate Kansas' sweep of the first two conference games last weekend.
Coach Mark Francis has said all season that Salazar is a unique player and can create very dangerous offensive attacks.
"[Liana] is that type of
player, she can pull special things like that out," Francis said in an interview after Kansas defeated Wyoming.
Stroud is off to arguably her best season in the net for the crimson and blue, recording 10 wins with seven of those being shutouts. She hasn't allowed an opposing team to score more than once in any game this season.
This weekend, Stroud added two shutouts against conference foes Baylor and Texas Christian University. Friday night Stroud saved seven of the Bears' shots in a 1-0 win in Waco, Texas, and followed it up with another perfect outing Sunday recording another seven saves in a 2-0 triumph against TCU.
She brought down her goals-against percentage to 0.36, and her save percentage is up to .926. Both marks lead the Big 12 and place her inside the top 10 in the NCAA.
Francis said Stroud's presence in the goal has been a vital factor to the team all season long.
"There have been games where she's pulled out some big saves at really, really key times of the game," Francis said after Sunday's win. "It's nice to know, we haven't given up too many goals, but once they do get past the defense and create an opportunity, she makes it really tough for them to finish [with a goal]."
Edited by Ashley Peralta
Liana Salazar
Games Played: 12
Points: 18
Goals: 8
Assists: 2
Minutes: 975
Shots per game: 3.17
Points per game: 1.50
Kaitlyn Stroud
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Games Played: 11
Saves: 50
Goals Allowed: 4
Minutes: 1002
Goals against average: 0.36
Save Percentage: 0.926
-KU Athletics
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